Apparatus and process for impregnating felt and the like



May 14, 1929. H. c. KOCH 1,712,770

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR IMPREGNATING FELT AND THE LIKE IFiled June 50, 1926 method 1,112,770 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. KdCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR IMPREGNATING FELT AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 30, 1926. Serial No. 119,609.

My machine and process are intended primarily for the production of roofing, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide means by which the felt, paper or other work strip may be thoroughly impregnated with the asphaltum or other adhesive compound with which it is to be associated. Another object is to reduce the time requisite for accomplishing the impregnating, and still another object is to reduce the size of the machine in which it may be accomplished.

ll obtain these 0 jects by the machine and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Figure 2 is an end view partly in section of the machine shown in Figure Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion 1 of one of the impregnating units by means of which the fabric.

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views. 4

According to the form of apparatus selected to illustrate the principles of the invention the adhesive is supplied from a reservoir 10. A pump 12, preferably of the centrifugal type, is driven by a motor 14 or other power device and forces the adhesive from the reservoir into the main supply pipe 16. This. pipe leads to branches'lS, which in turn lead through appropriate piping 20 to a number of jetting units 30, arranged within a tank 32. The jetting units consist of compslrtments or vessels arranged in pairs on opposite sides of difierent runs of the work stri 3a which consists of paper, felt or other abric to be coated or impregnated. This strip is fed from. a storage roll 36 mounted at one end of the tank. From it the strip is lead alternately over and under guide rollers 38 at the top of the tank and guide rollers 40 near the bottom thereof. A guide roller 42 is located at the delivery end of the tank, and it is desirable that an auxiliary roller 4% be located adjacent to it for compressing the coated strip slightly and removing from it any surplus adhesive. Thus it will be evident that the strip in passing through tank 32 has a number of downruns running from the upper guide rollers 38 to the lower ones 40, and a number of upruns from the guide rollers 40 to'the succeeding guide rollers 38.

adhesive is forced into the the pump tends to sup The vessels 30 are arranged in pairs on op- 'positesides of each down run of the work strip. The inner Walls are spaced from the strip to form a chamber 46 through which the work strip passes. Near the bottom each inner wall has an oblique portion 48 which has a number of openings through which.

the binder liquid may be forced in jets against the faces of the strip in a direction opposed to the direction of travel of the strip. Near the upper portion, also, each of the inner walls is provided with openings 50 through which the liquid may issue in jets against the faces of the strip. It will be understood, however, that these characteristics may be somewhat modified, one of the essentials being that the liquid is applied to the strip Within aipressure chamber and in a continuous process. The liquid is introduced into these vessels ing 20 hereinabove described.

The chambers 46 are sealed at the entrance and exit by means of throat plates 52-which are mounted on the vessels and arelocated at a distance apart approximately equal to the thickness of the strip.

In operation, the strip is caused to travel 30 through the pip.

strip although this characteristic is not essential and may be varied if desired. The liquid is forced under pressure by the pump 12 through the piping 16, 18,20 to the vessels 30, the result being that the liquid issues in the form' of jets against the faces of the work strip. According to the best manner of operation-the pump is capable of furnishing liquid to the chambers 46 faster than it issues from them, the result being that a pressure is built up in said chamber and consequently the liquid is forced into the pores of the fabric, thus thoroughly impregnating it.

Under normal operating conditions there is apt to be a little leakage at the upper and lower throats of the chambers 46, and of course some of the liquid passes out of the chambers in consequence of the fact that the pores of the fabric contain liquid. However, 1y liquid faster than it issues from the cham ers and consequently in the preferred manner of operation the chambers 46 are continuously under pressure.

Any liquid leaking from the throats is collected in tank 32 from which it may be-subsequently removed and replaced in the supply tank 10.

As a result of my construction in which the work strip passes through a chamber in which the liquid is contained under pressure the impregnation is much more thorough than if the liquid merely impinged against the strip under atmospheric conditions. F urtheremore the action is more rapid and hence the machine will handle a greater length of fabric in a given period and also the machine is smaller than it would be if the strip were not impregnated under pressure.

Having thus describedmy invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1. Apparatus for impregnating a strip of fabric, comprising a chamber, means for feeding the strip through thechamber, inlet and outlet apertures through which the strip may enter and leave the chamber, means formed and arranged at the inlet and outlet apertures to cooperate with the strip to seal the chamber, means for forcing the impregnated medium into the chamber on opposite sides of the work strip at a greater rate than the leakage through the outlet aperture, whereby a pressure may be built up in the chamber when the apparatus is in operation.

2. Apparatus for impregnating a strip of fabric with a liquid, said apparatus having a chamber through which the strip passes, an inlet and an outlet throat approximately as wide as the thickness of the strip for cooperating with the work strip to seal the chamber, the walls of the chem er having openings through which the liquid may be directed toward the strip, and means for forcing the work liquid through said openings into the chamber.

3. Apparatus for impregnating a strip of fabric with a liquid, said apparatus having a chamber through which the strip passes, inlet and outlet throats at the entrance and exit of the chamber for approximately sealing the chamber in conjunction with the work strip, ducts leading into the chamber on opposite sides of the work strip for conveying the work liquid thereinto, and means for forcing the work liquid through said ducts at a rate greater than the rate of leakage at the inlet and outlet throats, whereby a pressure is built up within the chamber when the machine is in operation.

4. Apparatus for impregnating a strip of fabric with a liquid, said apparatus having a jetting unit comprising two vessels arranged en opposite sides of the work strip and having foraminated inner walls spaced from the work strip to form a chamber through which the work strip may pass, means for forcing liquid under pressure into said vessels, and means comprising extended portions of said vessels at the entrance and exit of said chamber for operating in conjunction with the work strip to substantially seal said chamber.

5. Apparatus for impregnating a strip of fabric with a liquid, said apparatus having a jetting unit comprising two vessels arran ed on opposite sides of the work strip and having openings in the inner walls from which jets of the liquid may pass from the vessels to the chamber, means for forcin liquid under pressure into said vessels, and anges extending from said vessels at the entrance and exit of said chamber, spaced apart approximately the thickness of the work strip for operating in conjunction with the work strip to approximately prevent leakage of the liquid from the chamber when the work strip is passing through it.

6. Apparatus for impregnating a strip of fabric with a liquid, said apparatus having jetting units, each comprising a pair of vessels arranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the work strip, means for causing the strip to pass between two vessels of a pair, means for forcing the liquid into said vessels, means at the entrance and exit of each chamber 'for cooperating with the work strip to seal the chamber, each vessel having an inner wall a portion of which is oblique with respect to the adjacent portion of the work strip, the oblique portion having apertures through which the liquid may be forced in jets onto the work strip, the oblique portion of the vessel converging towards the exit whereby the liquid jetting from said opening may be directed obliquely against the strip in a direction opposed to the direction of motion thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY C. KOCH. 

